CMN needed

[Kirov]

We're setting up an HtH with Misotu. General info: she's PK, me - probably DA, large map, other settings more or less standard (CBA and EG banned, though). We're in no hurry. Is there anyone who could help? Oh, hi Mart!

[Mart]

Yes, I can setup the game.
Any other settings? HtH is no AI? Or you play with some AI?

[Kirov]

Thanks, man, I was kinda hoping you'd reply. As for the other settings - Misotu left it all to me, so I say why not some decent AI from among the peaceful ones. Maybe on some separate islands with developed infrastructure? Something along these lines. Misotu wants a builder game so let's have that in mind. Early conflicts discouraged.

With the First PBEM game, I got convinced to Blind Research, for several reasons. Let me ask her if she's fine with it. This is going to be my standard recommendation from now on, I'll tell you why after the game is done or in the CMN section when I have more time.

Pods on, spoils of war off, Misotu won't mind hopefully. Most other stuff either average or default or at your discretion.

[Kirov]

OK, Misotu greenlit blind research so let's go with that. To sum it up:

Large map with average settings

Misotu's PK, I'm DA

AI in, mostly peaceful

Blind research and pods on, spoils off

The rest is completely up to you.

Take your time and let us know when you're ready. Thanks in advance!

[Mart]

Ok
Mostly peaceful... There is in scenario editor this setting, that can make a faction "exceptionally peaceful" or something like that. I will consider this, though, as rarely using it, I would need to test it more thoroughly. This is nice option, but having "cannon fodder" AI can make the game unbalanced too. I think making Gaians or Morgan more peaceful would not be needed.

How about a bit of a civ4 start? You receive starting units in several locations. We did that in WPC demo game. It does not feel like a big game changing experience and makes those turns 2101 to like 2110 more interesting.

Also, how about Yitzi patch 3.4, but with reset settings? So normal drone rules and possibly copters back to standard move increase. Though you might consider keeping the 3.4 change to hinder chop-n-drop.

[Misotu]

Hi guys, sorry to be late to the thread   

Blind research is horribly random but it's a good fun challenge to play with what you get so it's totally fine by me. Expect some rants on the thread if I keep getting the useless early SMAX techs, heh. If Kirov is playing DA then we must be on SMAX which I prefer.

Large map, average settings and relatively peaceful AI all sounds like we should be in for the long haul, which is great. I don't mind a few of the more aggressive AI as long as they're not breathing down my neck on turn 25 - ordinarily it wouldn't be a problem, but with blind research things can get really tricky (Spartans next door  with 2 battle ogres before I had synth or even lasers was my most recent experience on blind research     I had to concede defeat, it just wasn't sort-outable with rec commons and scouts with pointy sticks ).

Spoils off is good too.

I'm fine with the civ4 start if Kirov is ok with it - brightening up the first few turns sounds jolly to me. Are we talking a couple of independent units? Too much support cost early on is a bit of a bummer. I have never played the Yitzi patch but I know it's popular although I am not familiar with any of the details, only heard about it when I came to this board recently - people generally talk about "balance" but since I've rarely chopped and dropped a human player I doubt it would cramp my style over-much, not being (to say the least) a huge militarist     but I assume there are other changes? If the game is patched does that mean I need to install it, or will it just play ok? And can I turn it off again for other games? Sorry to be a technology dumbo but I really have trouble changing stuff around unless it's very, very intuitive. Or I have very excellent instructions that don't assume I code in C   

Anyway, thanks very much Mart for volunteering to set up some fun for us!  It's well over 10 years since I played an MP game ... really looking forward to it   

[Misotu]

PS   Actually I'd rather not the "peaceful AI" setting for cannon fodder reasons. Too easy for DA to exploit with their endless infiltration    Actions need consequences.

[Mart]

Yes, all starting units would be independent. The start would be flexible - no hq base established.

The easiest way to play with a patch version is to copy the whole game folder, renaming it to indicate the change and then insert patch files into it. Yitzi patch uses a new exe file (terranx.exe) but also a new alphax.txt file. And this is why to have the whole folder copied is convenient, especially for multiplayer. The only drawback is, that it requires this much more hard drive space.

Some solution to chop-n-drop is to agree on not attacking bases with copters.

Ok, then there will be no additionally peaceful AI.

[Misotu]

Hi Mart, thanks for the reply. The patch thing sounds easy enough even for me and I have the space.

Dumb question. I haven't played PBEM for such a long time ... I can't remember how it worked now. I seem to vaguely recall that you could just double click on the saved game file in email. And if so, and if I've renamed the patched game folder, how do I ensure that it uses the patched version rather than trying to run the vanilla version? Sorry, I'm sure it's obvious but other than physically putting the game file in the patched saved games sub-folder and then manually running the patched terranx.exe from there ... I can't quite see how it works? Is there an easier way?

I don't mind agreeing not to attack bases with helicopters.

[Mart]

We mostly play here attaching save files to the forum threads.
In emails - I really was not using it, but maybe that would be possible to find a way to set this up. Possibly by right click menu, which may give more options compared to doubleclick.
Years ago, I was moving sav files from email to game folders.
And browser today also remember where you were saving last time attached files, so that would be easy.

Some good way to do is to make a shortcut on desktop to a patch exe. Also the ini file has entry: "Last save" so it can refer to appropriate folder each time. Although sometimes I have impression registry entries can interfere, but I do not remember when.

[Kirov]

PS   Actually I'd rather not the "peaceful AI" setting for cannon fodder reasons. Too easy for DA to exploit with their endless infiltration    Actions need consequences.

Hm, my first thought was to reply that DA are actually not that fantastic with probing... All they really have is the starting tech and one bonus to probe morale. But then I recalled that 'free tech from 3 infiltrated factions' feature and it got me to wonder. This may be indeed very powerful in blind research settings, as is the Planetary Datalinks. You know what, I think I'm gonna switch to the Beliebers.

As for the save files - I have separate icons to SMAC (actually, to Mart's Iniswap if you want to get rid of that colour bug) on my quicklaunch, the browser usually remembers the last folder you saved to from this forum so it's really quite fast. You'll probably play PBEMs with only one copy anyway. Yitzi's patch doesn't change any gameplay stuff (unless there's a bug, which happened at least one), it only fixes bugs and gives mod options to stuff Yitzi considers unbalanced (though I fail to agree with most of it). His bug fixing is excellent work, though.

[Misotu]

The *Believers*?   I'm toast   

The DA 3 infiltrated factions thing would be very strong in blind research, I think, provided that the AI is doing well and you can get to them fairly early. What can make them *very* strong early game in blind research is the fact that they start with the tech - in my test game it took forever to get probes, just wouldn't come up. Blind research is like that 

Thanks for the replies on the save games. If you use the saving files to the forums method then that should be very simple to sort out. And I thought that Yitzi had changed stuff in the game which would catch me out, but if it's just bug fixes then that's great.

[Kirov]

I don't know which faction I can take. Most builders are stronger than PK anyway. I really like Lal but I believe he's no match to Morgan or Dee, not to mention Yang/Domai/Zak. Warmongers are my only choice left and I'll try to play them builder/mixed. In fact, with blind research and Miriam it's gonna take me probably 100 years to research the boat tech, unless some stupid AI sells it to me for garbage. Looks I'm gonna be stuck to my continent for a long time. After that, I'll just do what the Lord tells me to do, so don't be naughty and you're gold.

[Misotu]

   It's a deal. I was a notoriously poor warmonger back in the day so I will certainly be good and we will see how things play ...

Still, you know, I am relying on our CMN not to put you right next to me    

It all sounds good. I'll read the MP rules for which Mart gave me a link, sort out the Yitzi download and then I'm looking forward to the first turn. 

[Mart]

Ok, so factions will be:
PK
Believers

AI:
Gaians
University
Morganites
Drones
Data Angels

I am creating the map for the game.
Everything is pretty much determined. Any last thoughts?